BAA Told to Stop Sucking
Oct 5, 2007 | 3:46 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2005
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They're building T5 which is opening next year. I don't think it's built out of mud and straw; although it doesn't look as nice as that new airport in China that Foster designed.
Once T5 is open they're going to knock down T2, move those flights to T1 and move all BA flights from T1 to T5. I hope that makes sense.
Once T5 is open they're going to knock down T2, move those flights to T1 and move all BA flights from T1 to T5. I hope that makes sense.
Oct 5, 2007 | 7:35 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: Virgin, United, Qantas
Posts: 155
They were even trying to fingerprint kids when they pick up their school provided lunches but that is now not-compulsory (but still being done).
Oct 5, 2007 | 9:26 pm
#18
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Oct 6, 2007 | 2:24 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Probably not. The airlines don't want to have to reaccommodate pax who miss their flights due to security wait times. They also don't want to have people showing up many hours early and clogging up their checkin facilities, lounges, etc. It's unlikely that whatever little payment they may get from BAA is worth the trouble.
Wasn't the strict 1-bag rule supposed to help reduce security screening times? I really hope this doesn't mean that they're going to try to put in a "0.5 bag" rule now (i.e. shrink the allowable size significantly).
I do have to say that a 10 minute upper limit is pretty tough. I doubt many U.S. airports, even smaller ones, could meet that requirement all the time. A 5-10 minute average time and maybe a 25-30 minute max might be more reasonable based on peaks of passenger traffic at various times during the day. I'd be willing to accept that as long as there were significant consequences for exceeding the max time so that it didn't happen very often.
Wasn't the strict 1-bag rule supposed to help reduce security screening times? I really hope this doesn't mean that they're going to try to put in a "0.5 bag" rule now (i.e. shrink the allowable size significantly).
I do have to say that a 10 minute upper limit is pretty tough. I doubt many U.S. airports, even smaller ones, could meet that requirement all the time. A 5-10 minute average time and maybe a 25-30 minute max might be more reasonable based on peaks of passenger traffic at various times during the day. I'd be willing to accept that as long as there were significant consequences for exceeding the max time so that it didn't happen very often.
The 10 minute queue is checked every 15 minutes and BAA were allowed to fail 45 times in a month. Im not sure if this is still the rule.
I went through LGW at 9.30am on a friday recently and the queue took about 10 minutes.
Oct 6, 2007 | 2:31 am
#20
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Soon to be LEGT
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If you are moving to metropolitan London (as opposed to the general "Greater London" region), I see no reason why you'd use anything apart from LCY. A dozen key European destinations are served from there, plus many domestic flights, and there are connections to everywhere via AMS.
Oct 6, 2007 | 3:05 am
#21
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I don't know about that...
They're building T5 which is opening next year. I don't think it's built out of mud and straw; although it doesn't look as nice as that new airport in China that Foster designed.
Once T5 is open they're going to knock down T2, move those flights to T1 and move all BA flights from T1 to T5. I hope that makes sense.
They're building T5 which is opening next year. I don't think it's built out of mud and straw; although it doesn't look as nice as that new airport in China that Foster designed.
Once T5 is open they're going to knock down T2, move those flights to T1 and move all BA flights from T1 to T5. I hope that makes sense.
Oct 6, 2007 | 11:20 am
#22
Join Date: Mar 2006
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don't know about that...
They're building T5 which is opening next year. I don't think it's built out of mud and straw; although it doesn't look as nice as that new airport in China that Foster designed.
Once T5 is open they're going to knock down T2, move those flights to T1 and move all BA flights from T1 to T5. I hope that makes sense
Right you are. Ferrovial just took over the bond obligations (read: debt). That was one of the conditions of the sale. They are in no more condition to improve the traveller experience at LHR than I am to purchase a first class ticket on BA.
They're building T5 which is opening next year. I don't think it's built out of mud and straw; although it doesn't look as nice as that new airport in China that Foster designed.
Once T5 is open they're going to knock down T2, move those flights to T1 and move all BA flights from T1 to T5. I hope that makes sense
Right you are. Ferrovial just took over the bond obligations (read: debt). That was one of the conditions of the sale. They are in no more condition to improve the traveller experience at LHR than I am to purchase a first class ticket on BA.
Oct 6, 2007 | 11:32 am
#23
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Louisville, KY, US
Programs: QF Plat - OW EMD | DL Gold / Starwood Gold
Posts: 6,106
Another goodie about UK airports others may not know.
For UK Immigrations, the Home Office established some type of rule that immigration queues are no longer than 30 minutes. The "penalty" from what I understand was handled internally within immigrations.
I know someone who used to work for the Home Office, which is how I found this out. OTOH, it is possible things may have changed over the past couple of years.
I've known about the BAA line fines for some time. That is why the BAA would often direct non-premium pax into the FastTrack line (at LGW S, at least). As a result, I would often be holding a NW WBC ticket which means I paid the ++ tax for travelling in a higher level of service. I would get into the LGW S FastTrack security line with a Fast Track sticker on my ticket jacket and be surrounded by folks with EasyJet boarding passes.
The result, the FastTrack line at LGW S was just as long as all of the other queues. When I spoke to a NW agent at LGW about this, they explained the max wait time rule and told me how security was doing everything, including opening the flood gates for Fast Track, to keep the time down.
I haven't been back to the UK since the liquid rules and 1 bag rule went into affect.
Against my better judgement (I got a good deal) and now have my status with OW, I'll be transfering at LHR late this month and again next month.
For UK Immigrations, the Home Office established some type of rule that immigration queues are no longer than 30 minutes. The "penalty" from what I understand was handled internally within immigrations.
I know someone who used to work for the Home Office, which is how I found this out. OTOH, it is possible things may have changed over the past couple of years.
I've known about the BAA line fines for some time. That is why the BAA would often direct non-premium pax into the FastTrack line (at LGW S, at least). As a result, I would often be holding a NW WBC ticket which means I paid the ++ tax for travelling in a higher level of service. I would get into the LGW S FastTrack security line with a Fast Track sticker on my ticket jacket and be surrounded by folks with EasyJet boarding passes.
The result, the FastTrack line at LGW S was just as long as all of the other queues. When I spoke to a NW agent at LGW about this, they explained the max wait time rule and told me how security was doing everything, including opening the flood gates for Fast Track, to keep the time down.
I haven't been back to the UK since the liquid rules and 1 bag rule went into affect.
Against my better judgement (I got a good deal) and now have my status with OW, I'll be transfering at LHR late this month and again next month.